Close friend newly diagnosed (Page 2 of 2)

Dear SDas, I am so very sorry about your friend. We are here when you need us. I am wishing for the best.

Thanks everyone... we'll FIGHT it. There is always hope.

Hi Sdas,

I am glad to hear you say that you will fight and I do hope that your friend will fight this also. Yes there is hope and I wish that you and your friend do not give up hope. I know from my dads fight with CC that he got some bad news along the way, such as a result from a CT scan that we didn't want to get or that he couldn't try this or that treatment. And when he got such news it would knock him back a bit after he heard it and it was hard to take. But my dad bounced back and a day or two later he felt a lot better and was thinking along the lines of "okay, we can't do that so what can we do next then". It might not feel like it right now, but you and your friend will bounce back and then the next stage of the fightback will begin.

Did your friends doctor talk about what type of chemo they would do, such as the Gemcitabine / Cisplatin combination? There are many types and combinations of chemo and many of the members here have shared their experiences of chemo. If you look at the chemo board or use the search function at the top of the page then you will find a ton of discussions from the members here about chemotherapy.

You ask what is the prognosis now with chemo and this is a question that neither I or anyone else here can answer for you. We are not doctors, and can not give medical advice like that. Members here will share their experiences of chemo and what it was like, but no one can say what the prognosis is for anyone.

One other thing I would mention to you is about the possibility of your friend seeking a second or even a third opinion. Is this something that your friend has done or would consider doing? Again I will say to you that I hope that you and your friend do not give up hope. Please keep coming back here as much as you want, even if you feel like venting, shouting or letting off some steam. We know how you feel and what you and your friend are going through, and if you have any more questions then please ask and we will all do what we can to help.

My best wishes to you and your friend,

Gavin

SDas,

I'm so so sorry to hear your news.  You will all be devastated.  I always find it hard to believe that the first scan could be so wrong in this sort of case.  I do think a second opinion could help, if only to back up the view of no surgery.  There are people who have seen tumours shrink through chemo enough to be resected.  I suppose this would depend on the extent of spread.
You have already been a remarkable friend.  Hoping that you will get some sort of game plan and a way forward soon.
Kate

It is with a heavy heart that I am logging in. I decided to resurrect the very first thread that I started in this message board.

My good friend Alok passed away exactly a week ago. Alok - Dr. Alok Bhandari (age 44) was Professor & Chair of the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department at Kansas State University, an outstanding person, and my very close friend.
http://www.engg.ksu.edu/files/engg/imag … andari.jpg

Alok was the second person with CC to participate in this Phase II trial at the NIH: http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/se … d=11220695

Tragically it did not work. His first CT scan (Nov 2012) following the NIH treatment showed that the tumor had spread extensively to his lungs and liver. Alok's health started deteriorating rapidly shortly afterwards. He passed away last Wednesday, shortly after 12:00 PM. He suffered a great deal during his final two days.

Sanjoy Das